


as if nothing could fall

by helsinkibaby



Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: 10x05, Angst, Community: 1-million-words, F/M, Fluff, Het, Romance, post ep
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-08
Updated: 2020-05-08
Packaged: 2021-03-02 17:15:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 485
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24080428
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/helsinkibaby/pseuds/helsinkibaby
Summary: Steve brings Lana Nakua’s body back to the morgue.
Relationships: Noelani Cunha/Steve McGarrett
Kudos: 14





	as if nothing could fall

**Author's Note:**

> Post ep to 10.05, the Halloween episode. Title comes from “Heroes” by David Bowie
> 
> For 1 million words bingo 3x3 Romance bingo card, prompt “stay”

Noelani heaves a sigh of relief as the stretcher bearing Lana Nakua’s body is brought into the autopsy room. Like many people, she’d been following the case since Lana had been reported missing, dreading the moment that she might see her on a mortuary slab. That that moment had come had been bad enough, watching her parents identify her had been worse again. 

But to find that the body had gone missing, on her watch? 

Noelani had never felt so helpless. 

The door opens again and the paramedics leave, giving Noelani and Steve a nod as they go. Noelani waits until they are around the corner and out of sight before she turns to Steve and breaks the silence. “Thank you.” 

She’s not sure whether she’s thanking him for his support and reassurance earlier, or for finding Lana’s body, or some combination of both. Steve doesn’t ask her for clarification either, just smiles down at her, warmth in his eyes. “You’re welcome.” 

She gives herself a moment to bask in that warmth. Just a moment, enough to carry her through what comes next. Then she steels herself, clenches her fists, ready for battle. “I’ll see you later?” 

She doesn’t mean for it to come out as a question, wants to bite her tongue clean off. Steve doesn’t seem perturbed though, his gaze steady and strong, never wavering from hers. “I’ll leave when you do.” He says it as if it’s the most natural thing in the world and she shakes her head. 

“You don’t have to stay-” she starts and that’s as far as she gets before he lays his hands on her shoulders, turns her ever so gently to face him. 

“ _Ku’uipo_ ,” he says quietly, but firmly, “I’ll leave when you do.” 

She will not cry, Noelani promises herself. She will not. 

However she didn’t make any promises about not leaning forwards, about not burying her face in his chest and closing her eyes tightly. So that’s exactly what she does, taking several deep breaths in order to ground herself and how the hell does he smell so good after running around after thieves and murderers all night? 

He chuckles as his arms go around her, hands moving up and down her back. “Good cologne,” he says and it’s her first inkling that she might have thought some of that out loud. 

She should be embarrassed. 

Instead she just slips her arms around his waist, holds on tight and takes several more deep breaths. 

She holds him until she’s strong enough to let go, but even then, he doesn’t let her go, returns his hands to her shoulders and squeezes. “Okay?” he asks and she’s not, not really, but she’s better than she was and that counts for something. 

“I’ll see you in a while,” she says, not a question this time and his smile is as warm as his eyes. 

“I’ll be waiting.”


End file.
